Nelson told The New Yorker that he wanted to create “a stylistic montage as an homage to the great Harlem Renaissance painters…”

Illustrator Kadir Nelson wanted to create “a stylistic montage as an homage to the great Harlem Renaissance painters…”

The Schomburg is the “world’s leading institution for the collection, preservation, and interpretation of materials related to the global black experience.” There are more than 10 million items in the collection, including significant holdings in its Art & Artifacts Division from Harlem Renaissance and WPA-era artists.